Pistol with a device for determining the number of shots

ABSTRACT

A pistol includes a carriage which receives a barrel. The carriage slides back on a handle of the pistol during discharge against the force of a return spring. The pistol includes a device for determining the number of shots fired. The device includes electronics attached to the handle and including a microprocessor with storage, a piezoelectric sensor connected to the microprocessor, a current supply, and a reading device for reading the storage, which reading device is external to the pistol. The piezoelectric sensor receives recoil impulses during discharge and sends a signal to the microprocessor in response to the impulses. The microprocessor is connected to a second sensor, which sends a second signal to the microprocessor when the carriage slides back. The microprocessor sends a count impulse to the storage during a time interval between the first signal of the piezoelectric sensor and the second signal, which corresponds to the time interval between discharge and sliding back of the carriage during a discharge.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a pistol including a device configured to determine the number of shots fired.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Such pistols are known (DE 39 11 804 C2 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,191). Since the piezoelectric sensor disclosed in these references can also be subjected to other mechanical impulses, for example, when the pistol is dropped or during firing of practice rounds due to the lock or firing-pin movement during a simulated discharge, the counting of shots fired from the pistol is flawed. In order to avoid such errors, DE 40 22 038 discloses a device having three direction and acceleration dependent sensors instead of a single sensor. DE 44 17 545 A1 discloses several sensors located in the front of the pistol muzzle configured to detect a bullet as it is flying by.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a cost efficient pistol having a reliable device configured to determine the number of shots. This objective is achieved by the pistol disclosed herein. Further advantageous developments of the invention are also disclosed herein.

[0004] According to the present invention, the device or determining the number of shots fired by the pistol includes a piezoelectric first sensor and a second sensor. The piezoelectric sensor transmits first signal to a microprocessor upon receipt of a mechanical impulse. The second sensor is activated when the carriage slides back during a discharge. The time interval between the first signal produced by the piezoelectric sensor and the second signal produced by the second sensor is compared by the microprocessor. The compared time interval is that between the first signal, produced as a result of the recoil impulse during a live shot, and the second signal, produced when the carriage slides back during a live shot. When the time interval is positive a count impulse is stored. When a live shot is fired, the time interval between the first and the second signals is around a few milliseconds.

[0005] A battery can be provided as the current supply. Preferably, current is supplied for storage of the data received and for operation of a real-time clock discussed below.

[0006] The remaining electronics, including the second sensor, are only supplied with current after the first sensor is activated. Thus, the first signal, produced by the piezoelectric sensor, serves at the same time as an activation signal for the electronics. The time interval for activating the microprocessor and the other connected electronics is usually a few microseconds.

[0007] If necessary, the piezoelectric sensor can be a common ceramic piezoelement. However, the piezoelectric sensor is preferably formed by a piezoelectric polymer sensor or piezofilm sensor, preferably out of fluoropolymers, in particular polyvinylidenefluoride (PVTF) and copolymers of PVDF. The piezofilm sensor consists of a piezofilm piece or a small plate, having an electric layer on each side, such as a metal layer, like silver. The electrode layers are connected to the microprocessor. Each electrode layer can have a protective outer coating.

[0008] The piezofilm sensor can be attached to any desired area of the pistol handle since the recoil impulse deforms practically the entire handle during discharge. The piezofilm sensor is advantageously arranged on a printed circuit board which also houses the electronics.

[0009] The circuit board is preferably designed as a multilayer printed circuit board. The circuit board is preferably positioned on the section of the handle between the trigger and the barrel muzzle under the carriage. The piezofilm sensor can then be arranged on the side of the circuit board opposite the carriage and can be positioned between two layers of the circuit board.

[0010] The second sensor can be designed differently than the first sensor. The second sensor can also be constructed by a piezoelectric sensor, in particular a piezofilm sensor, which is deformed by the carriage when the carriage slides back during discharge. In this instance, a nose or similar projection of the carriage will operate the piezosensor when the carriage slides back. Alternatively, if the second sensor is formed by an induction coil, a permanent magnet could be positioned on the carriage.

[0011] The second sensor is preferably a coil which is supplied with current from a frequency generator. Since the carriage of the pistol consists of metal, the sensor coil is damped when a section of the carriage slides back past the coil. The oscillation amplitude reduced by damping is transmitted as a signal to the microprocessor. The section of the carriage which moves past the sensor coil can, for example, be the front face wall of the carriage. The sensor coil is preferably arranged on the side of the printed circuit board facing the carriage in order to achieve the most significant damping.

[0012] In order for the device to determine the time of firing each shot, in addition to the number of shots fired, a real-time clock is also provided on the printed circuit board. Thus, since the time of firing of a shot is recorded with each fired shot based on a reading from the real-time clock the pistol can record each firing event.

[0013] A read-out of the stored data on the pistol handle can be accomplished through a cable or contacts. Preferably the read-out does not require contacts since the pistol handle will generally consist of plastic. Thus, it is preferable to provide an RF transmitter in the pistol handle which communicates with an RF receiver as the reading device outside of the pistol. In order for the microprocessor to be programmable from outside and in order for data to be read into storage, the RF transmitter in the pistol handle is also preferably an RF receiver.

[0014] The RF transmitter and, if necessary, receiver, in the pistol handle is/are preferably arranged on the printed circuit board. The antenna for the transmitter/receiver is preferably an antenna coil and is positioned on the side of the printed circuit board opposite the carriage.

[0015] The device also includes a reading device which can be designed as a hand-held reading device. The reading device can also be configured for connection to a personal computer or laptop.

[0016] The device of the present invention can also be configured to determine further characteristic data of the pistol. The characteristic data can include data for identification of the pistol and/or data regarding the owner of the pistol, which is read into storage.

[0017] For the programming and reading-in of the characteristic data, a recording device outside of the pistol can be used. The recording device can be an RF transmitter which is connected to a personal computer or laptop. The recording device can also be designed as a reading device.

[0018] The pistol identification data could include the number of the weapon, which is also applied to the weapon. The pistol identification data could also include data such as the production date of the pistol, the charge number of the pistol, etc. A recording device could be installed at the production site to input this data. The pistol ownership data read into storage could include the name of the legal owner of the weapon. The name could be read into storage via a recording device by the seller when the pistol is purchased. The data could also be read in by a public authority or similar institution. In addition, if the ownership of the pistol changes, the legal name of the new owner could be read into storage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The invention will be described in greater detail hereinafter by way of an example and in connection with the drawings, in which:

[0020]FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned side view of a pistol;

[0021]FIG. 2 is a front view of the FIG. 1 pistol;

[0022]FIG. 3 is a top view of one side of the printed circuit board of the FIG. 1 pistol with the electronics, the sensors and further components;

[0023]FIG. 4 is a top view of the other side of the printed circuit board of FIG. 3; and

[0024]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the FIGS. 3 and 4 printed circuit board.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Referring to FIG. 1, the pistol has a handle 1 and a carriage 2. The carriage 2 is movably arranged on the handle 1 by a groove/spring guide 3 (FIG. 2). The handle 1 is composed of plastic.

[0026] The pistol includes a barrel 4 which is housed in the carriage 2. The barrel 4 is stationary and fixed to the handle 1. The carriage 2 has a face wall 5, which serves as a spring plate for a return spring 6. The opposite end of the return spring is supported on the handle 1 at area 7.

[0027] A recess 12 is provided in the section 8 of the handle 1. The recess 12 extends between a trigger 9 and a muzzle 11 of the barrel 4 under the carriage 2. The recess 12 houses a printed circuit board 13, which is illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 3 to 5.

[0028] The printed circuit board 13 includes a microprocessor 14. The microprocessor 14 houses nonvolatile storage, for example EEPROM storage as the program storage, counter and even storage. A battery 15 is provided to supply current. The printed circuit board 13 also includes a real-time clock 16, one or several piezofilm sensors 17, a sensor coil 18, and an RF transmitting and receiving part 19 with an antenna coil 20. The battery 15 and the sensor coil 13 are preferably arranged on the side of the printed circuit board 13 facing the carriage 12. The antenna coil 20 is preferably arranged on the side of the printed circuit board 13 opposite the carriage 12.

[0029] The antenna coil 20 surrounds the piezofilm sensor 17. The microprocessor 14, the real-time clock 16 and the RF part 19 are arranged under the piezofilm sensor 17, which is illustrated in dashes in FIG. 4. The piezofilm sensor 17 is connected to the microprocessor 14 through the printed circuit board 13. When the piezofilm sensor 17 receives a recoil impulse during a discharge, it deforms and emits a signal to the microprocessor 14.

[0030] The sensor coil 18 is supplied with current from a frequency generator in the electronic module 14. When the carriage 2 slides back in the direction of the arrow 21 against the force of the spring 6 during a discharge, the face wall 5 moves over the sensor coil 18, causing the coil 18 to be damped. The sensor coil 18 then produces a damping signal, which is sent to the microprocessor 14, to which the sensor coil 18 is connected through the printed circuit board 13.

[0031] When the time interval between the first signal produced by the piezofilm sensor 17 during discharge and the second signal, the damped signal produced by the sensor coil 13, corresponds to a time interval for a live shot between discharge and movement of the face wall 5 past the sensor coil 18, the microprocessor 1 sends a count impulse to storage.

[0032] The battery 15 serves as the sole current supply for counting the shot fired by the pistol. In a sleep mode, the battery 15 supplies current only to the real-time clock 16 and the maintain the recorded data in storage. The other electronic components, including the microprocessor 14, the RF part 19 and the sensor coil 18, are typically in a “sleep mode”, or inactive state. Thus, these components are only supplied with current when a shot is fired and the piezofilm sensor 17 sends a signal to the microprocessor 14. The signal sent by the piezofilm sensor 17 thus serves as an activation, or wake-up, signal for the electronics.

[0033] As shown in dashed lines in FIG. 5, the printed circuit board 13, including all components arranged thereon, is cast into a block 22 out of a suitable plastic material. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A pistol comprising a handle, a carriage which receives a barrel, the carriage being configured to slide back on the handle during discharge against the force of a return spring, and a device for determining the number of shots fired by the pistol, which device has in the handle of the pistol electronics including a microprocessor having storage, a piezoelectric sensor connected to the microprocessor, which piezoelectric sensor upon receipt of a recoil impulse during discharge sends a signal to the microprocessor, and a current supply, and external to the pistol a reading device to read from the storage, the microprocessor is connected to a second sensor which sends a second signal to the microprocessor when the carriage slides back, whereby during a time interval between emission of the first signal by the piezoelectric sensor and emission of the second signal by the second sensor, which time interval corresponds to a time interval between discharge of the pistol and sliding back of the carriage during a discharge, the microprocessor sends a count impulse to storage.
 2. The pistol according to claim 1, wherein the first signal emitted by the piezoelectric sensor is an activation signal for the electronics.
 3. The pistol according to claim 1, wherein the electronics includes a frequency generator and the second sensor is formed by a coil supplied with current from the frequency generator; and the coil emits the second signal when a metal section of carriage moves over the coil when the carriage slides back causing the coil to be damped.
 4. The pistol according to claim 3, wherein the metal section is formed by a face wall of the carriage.
 5. The pistol according to claim 1, wherein the second sensor is formed by a piezoelectric sensor, which is displaced by the carriage when the carriage slides back.
 6. The pistol according to claim 1, wherein a permanent magnet is positioned on the carriage, and the second sensor is an induction coil.
 7. The pistol according to claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric sensor is a piezofilm sensor.
 8. The pistol according to claim 1, wherein the electronics includes a real-time clock.
 9. The pistol according to claim 1, further including an antenna configured to read data in storage.
 10. The pistol according to claim 9, wherein the handle is composed of plastic.
 11. The pistol according to claim 1, wherein the electronics are arranged on a printed circuit board.
 12. The pistol according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the piezoelectric sensor, the second sensor, the current supply, and an antenna are arranged on the printed circuit board as further components.
 13. The pistol according to claim 12, wherein the printed circuit board includes at least two layers and the piezoelectric sensor is a piezofilm sensor which is arranged between two layers.
 14. The pistol according to claim 11, wherein the printed circuit board is positioned on a section of the handle which extends from a trigger of the pistol to a muzzle of the barrel.
 15. The pistol according to claim 14, wherein the second sensor is a coil which is positioned on a side of the printed circuit board which faces the carriage, and an antenna is positioned on a side of the printed circuit board which is opposite the carriage.
 16. The pistol according to claim 12, wherein the electronics and the further components on the printed circuit board are cast into a plastic mass.
 17. The pistol according to claim 1, wherein the device for determining the number of shots fired by the pistol is configured to determine further characteristic data of the pistol.
 18. The pistol according to claim 17, wherein the further characteristic data is read into storage includes at least one of identification data corresponding to the pistol and data concerning the owner of the pistol.
 19. The pistol according to claim 17, wherein a recording device is provided external to the pistol for programming the microprocessor and for reading in the further characteristic data. 